A Workshop Retreat on the island of Koufonisi, Greece
The Speaking Body:
Authentic Movement and the Michael Chekhov Work
with Sarah Hickler and Craig Mathers
July 10 – July 21, 2022
Come join us to commune with nature, yourself, and a group of fellow adventurers on this gorgeous Greek island.
Authentic Movement is a contemplative practice that activates the imagination and deepens the ability to yield, listen and
give form to the interior world of sensations, feelings, impulses and images as they arise. It provides a powerful framework
for dynamic expression, insight and transformation. Writing, drawing, and verbal processing are used to deepen and
enliven the movement experience. The Michael Chekhov technique is a psycho-physical approach to performance th
at appeals to dynamic and embodied expression, inner and outer space, and, above all, to the imagination. In these sessions
there is an option to draw on and develop writing and movement material generated through the Authentic Movement
investigate embodied awareness and their expressive potential. This workshop is appropriate for performers, writers, artists,
or anyone wishing to investigate embodied awareness and their expressive potential.
Schedule: We will meet daily in the studio from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, Monday, July 11 through Wednesday, July 20, with one full day off. In the afternoons and evenings, you can sun, swim, hike, explore the cliffs, caves, island paths or the town, relax at the beach taverna, schedule a Thai message, rest on the villa verandas or in the jacuzzi, or whatever you wish. We will gather for meals, and an optional excursion to a near-by island will be organized for the day off.
7:30-8:30 Breakfast
9:00-9:30 Physical warm-up 1:00-
9:30–10:45 Authentic Movement 8:00 Dinner
There will be a few afternoon sessions during our 10 days together.
Accommodations: We will be working and living together in the gracious Koufinisi Villas in the tranquil northeast of the island (https://www.koufonisivillas.com).
Villa Porithea: https://www.
Upper Level Queen: 1 queen bed (en-suite private bathroom)
Upper Level Double: 2 single beds (shared bathroom)
Upper Level Double: 2 twin beds (shared bathroom)
Lower Level Queen: 1 queen bed (en-suite private bathroom)
Lower Level Small King: 1 king bed (shared bathroom)
Lower Level Double: 2 single beds (shared bathroom)
Additional rooms available in the adjacent Villa Parathea https://www.
Meals: 3 gourmet vegan meals served daily, catered by one of the best restaurants on the island. Cost: €40 daily.
Workshop Fee: $525.00 (40-46 contact hours). A few partial scholarships are available.
Getting there: Plan to arrive on Sun., July 10. We will have dinner together that evening. Our work in the studio begins Monday, July 11 and ends the evening of Wed., July 20. Departure is Thursday, July 21. There are direct International flights to the islands of Mykonos and Santorini. Koufonisi is 2 hours by highspeed ferry from either island. From the Port of Pireaus in Athens, the ferry takes 4 hours. There are also flights from Athens and boats from Pireaus to the island of Naxos, a neighboring island that allows for easy access to Koufonisi. Our hosts will pick you up once you arrive on Koufonisi. After you register, a complete information packet will be sent to you.
To Register: To register and for more information, send your name and contact information to speakingbodygreece@gmail.
Sarah and Craig have been teaching at Emerson College together for many years, and have collaboratively taught workshops for Teatro Argos in Cuba.
Sarah Hickler is a performing artist, actor, director, movement and theater educator. Her devised movement/theater work has been produced in theaters, museums and schools throughout New England, at Austen Art Center (CT), Theater Lab (NYC), Lincoln Center Festival (NYC), Mercury Theatre (U.K.). She performs regularly with Action Theater ensembles, and as a former member of Mobius Artists Group has collaborated with experimental dance, media and performance artists from the U.S. and abroad. Sarah has been on the faculty of graduate and undergraduate programs including Brandeis University, Boston University, Boston Conservatory, School of Museum of Fine Arts, Shakespeare Sedona and Shakespeare & Co., and is currently an Associate Professor at Emerson College where she teaches movement, physical theater improvisation, and Shakespeare. Author of In the Moment: A Practical Guide to Movement & Improvisation, Sarah is a Certified Authentic Movement facilitator, and is a Certified and Recommended teacher of Action Theater.
Craig Mathers is a faculty member of the Michael Chekhov Association (MICHA) as well as the Michael Chekhov School in Hudson, NY, and is currently serving on MICHA’s Faculty Council. He has taught acting at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and at NYU’s Cap 21. Craig is currently a Professor of Performing Arts at Emerson College where he leads the BFA Acting studio. He teaches Chekhov and Stanislavsky based approaches there, as well as Shakespeare Text and is also a designated Linklater Voice teacher. He has taught Chekhov workshops for the Warsaw Academy of Drama, Gdansk University, the Interior Theater of St. Petersburg, Russia, Teatro Argos in Havana, Cuba, Icaro Compania Teatral in Mexico City, and for Michael Chekhov Europe in Groznjan, Croatia.
